Method of and apparatus for airplanes



Sept- 5, 1933- w. M. FELLERS 1,925,139

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 30, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l 2P l lf l /L/ 20 15 t /5 /5 lf, w,

/ 3% ,a 'Zc o /7 v /7 20 2 5 /f/ f 20%@ y INVENTOR ATTOR N EY Sept. 5, 1933. W M FELLERS f 1,925,139

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES @7 4 lLal/m M m INVENTOR .f BY

ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1933. W' M. FELLERS 1,925,139

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 30, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BY MAM ATTOR N EY Patented Sept. 5, 1933 PATENT FFCE `IHETHOD OF AND A?PARATUS FOR AIRPLNES 'William M. Fellers, Washington, D. C.

Application September 30, 1929 Serial No. 396,343

10 Claims.

(Granted under `the Act of amended April 30, 1928;

This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for airplanes, and more particularly to their preparation for flight, and still t ore particularly to the regular or ocasional such prei: ration of large numbers or" aircraft more especially lwliei space is limited and such craft personnel required to be handled, conserved accor nodated eiiiciently, economically and speedily without impairing visibility, comfort and health of personnel, or the safety oi b, cra-it eir operatives. estoi-fore, airplanes have 1eeen taken from their nanars to any convenient indefinite place, th e secured and their motors started and med up to requisite extent before flight. .y .cn usual propeller oi suon craft exerts a force upon the air of substantially live pounds per horse power of the meer.

l have found such force causes a column of eir to be thrown backward do.v award, which earth with great violence, and stanml amount oi dust to be thrown increased substantially by erosion of fno due to force; that said dust from one or more planes tend" to sullstantially lower visibility and increase liaoility to accident, settles on. and is liable to be taken into the motors with t? e intake-air and thereby and otherwise damage suc-li motors planes, besides being inconvenliable to harmful to personnel; that s surface which must he frequently resurand that conditions have required lanes being warmed up, e flying lield which canc. otler Kindred purposes, widely scattered hangars or long trips of plaL es and personnel to and "'1 c a larger force erw'dcyees on snel?. lying fields, and more extensive invostina n land for such elds which land is usually of great value being usually in or convenie to large cn object of ent invention is to sublly overco o said conditions, difliculties ities by oviding improved method for airplanes whereby the herecapacity a flying deld for handling in out may b manyfold nu. out the las ons, liabilities and opera cost and investn'zenJr hereto- :tore indicated and with. other advantages hereinafter rendered more apparent;

March 370 ponents, my improved method contemplates and includes the association of the several hangar voluto s as close together as the anti-ilre spreading characteri tics of walls may admit to check the spread. of lire from one to another: the

s ociation tl e certain warningnup area preferably the dying field; and

plate" the association in said association with anchors no more if muci'l as, heretofore employed; and

Further contemplates and includes, in said warming-up area, leading the air-exliaust and other contents of each or any propeller blast away from the volume o cupied, or adapted to be occupied, by adjacent pl se or planes which may otherwise be aifected t eby; and more specilically contemplates that direction of said 1eading may preferably be upward; and more specifically contemplates the association of conveying areas in said warming-np area, and that said conveying areas be associated with the tails of airplanes to be ai cllored in said warming-up area, and that the preferred association of planes and conveying areas may be the association of planes tail towards tail with a conveying area or areas intermediate suoli tails; and still more specically contemplates that said l ading and conveying in said conveying areas y be by deflection content of the content of caca or propeller blast away from. contact with erosive earth and away from volumes occupied, or adapted to ce occupied, by other planes; and still more specifically contemplates tliat said leading or deflection in said conveying areas may be in substantially denite paths which may be fixed or varied;

And iurther contemplates and includes, as a step thereof, the association of a taXying area with said warming-up arca, and that said taxying area be preferably termediate said warming-up area and the flying with said taXying area extending into ield at any convenient location; and

Further contemplates and includes the taxying of warmedmp planes from said warming-up area over said taxying area and into the flying eld; and

Further contemplates and includes the step of associating with the surface of said warming up, conveying and taxying areas a deflecting and resisting medium whereby the violence of the pro-- peller blasts upon said medium will not erode the same and the many taxyings of planes thereover will not mar the smooth surface thereof, and upon which medium taxying planes exert less force proportionate to their speed and their weight that is counterpoised by the air and whereby the taxying planes are precluded from rutting the surface of the flying -field juxtaposed to said extension of the taxying area and greater area afforded said juxtaposed areas to further minimize rutting; and

Further contemplates the association in the warming-up area of planes some facing the taxying and flying areas and some at an angle to said areas, or either of said areas, and that passage areas be associated in said warming-up area with and between rows of planes, or rows adapted for planes, being or to be warmedup; and that the planes warmed up be led from its specific portion of the warming-up area through the passage area or areas to the taxying area; and that the planes at an angle to the taxying and flying areas, or either of them, may be associated with their tails toward each other and in rows, with the conveying area or areas intermediate said tails; and further contemplates other steps as may more fully appear in the following detailed description, drawings and the appended claims.

To demonstrate the practical utility of my' said method a related, improved and novel apparatus is provided embodying my invention, and which may be used very advantageously and economically in practicing my improved method as a unitary invention. Such apparatus also serves as an example, to those skilled in the art, of the facility with which, after becoming familiar with my invention, the many forms and kinds of existing apparatus, with or without substantial modification, may be employed in the efficient practice of my said method.

Said provided apparatus contemplates and includes the construction of the several necessary' hangars as close together as the fire-spreading characteristics of the materials forming their walls and roofs may admit for safety from nre spread; and preferably in convenient association therewith is constructed a field wherein planes may be warmed up and tested in preparation for flight as well as tested after fiight before being placed in their respective hangars, said warming-up eld being preferably intermediate the hangars and the take-off portion of the flying field.

Said provided apparatus further contemplates the provision of means on said warming-up eld for leading the air, exhaust and other content of preferably each propeller blast away from` other planes which otherwise may be affected thereby; and more specifically contemplates that said means preferably lead said propeller blast content upwards, and that said means may constitute conveyors; and still more specifically con-- templates that said means may be formed of deflectors which receive and deflect to harmless points the content of propeller' blasts, and that said means may be fixed or varied relative to the warming-up field, and that when said means is xed the planes are properly associated therewith, and that when said means may be varied it may be properly associated with each plane to be served thereby; and

Said provided apparatus further contemplates the taking additional advantage of said means, conveyors or deflectors, in which the planes in the warming-up field may with safety be associated as close together in each horizontal direction as convenient egress and ingress may admit, and there held by anchors subject to no more, if as much, stress as heretofore required in warming up or testing planes such distances apart as to be unaffected by each others normal propeller blasts; and still further contemplates the taking of further unexpected advantage of said means and attaining substantial economy of valuable space by combining said means and its planes served thereby in row with the tails of said plane towards said means, and preferably with said planes facing toward the ying field, and for the attainment of greater economy in valuable space it is contemplated that there be combined with said means double rows for the accommodation of planes with said means intermediate each such double row and the tails of the planes therein extending toward each other and said means, with a passageway intermediate each such double row for the ingress and egress of planes to and from each side of said rows, and with the planes in said double rows facing at an angle to the iiying field, and with gaps in said first stated row or rows for the passage therethrough of planes to and from. their respective hangars, and that said passageway or ways and said gap or gaps be respectively substantially in alignment preferably; and

Said provided apparatus further contemplates the construction of a taxying field preferably intermediate the warming-up and flying fields; and more specifically contemplates the substantial extension into the flying field of said taxying iield preferably at a point which is more preferably at about the center of one side of the. taxying field, and that still more preferably said extension be progressive throughout a substantial part of the juxtaposed portions of said fields; and

Further contemplates and includes the providing of means whereby the violence of the possibly numerous propeller blasts, each likely to recur at substantially the saine spot, will not erode and tear substantial holes in the warmiiig-up field, and will not throw up great clouds of or any substantial dust which are liable to cause lowered visibility and serious accident and be intaken with the air into their motors and thereby and otherwise damage the motors and be inconvenient and harmful to personnel; said means preferably including the hard surfacing or concreting of the warming-up and taxying fields, which incidentally will also avoid their being rutted by the wheels of the planes passing thereover, and which surfacing is merged into and/or associated with the deflecting surfaceof the conveyors.

ther constitutent features, provisions, forms,

substantial economies and advantages of my said provided apparatus, as well the foregoing and other objects of my invention, will be rendered more apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying di' wings, illustrating one embodiment, with some optional details, of my improved apparatus, of the many different forms and characters of apparatus each of which 1 may be readily adapted by association or otherwise for employment in the practice of my irnproved method.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention in its apparatus aspect, and in which 150 like characters of reference indicate the same parts,

Figure 1 is a plan view with portions broken away;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation view on line 2--2 or l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation view oi' a part of my invention;

Figure f1 illustrates a detail of construction; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view illus rating a modified detail construction.

In the drawings, 1G represents the flying field of any desired size and configuration or area; 11 represents a taxying neld; 12 represents a warmn ing-up field; 13 represents rs of which there may be constructed any desirable number to accommodate the requisite number of planes; reprsents a roadway lea," iroin each hangar 13 to the warming-up field 12.

Upon field 12 is provided means 15 for leading conveying blasts the various propellers of airplanes liable to be thereon away from interlci nce with adjacent planes. Said means 15 enables planes to be placed as close together in all horizontal directions as convenient ingress and egress may adrrdt and without requiring any more, if as much, stress upon the anchoring of cach was required where the planes scattered widely in warming up. Said means 15, which makes such safe, orderly and economical congestion possible, also requires the hard surfacing or concreting 16 ci; the tcp surface of the whole of fields 11 and 12, which I rave provided, combined and associated with means 15, in order to preclude the possibility or the great force oi the many possible propeller blasts, each of which is likely to recur repeatedly substantially at the same place, eroding and digging substantial holes in the surface of 12, and to a lesser extent in field 11, and i.^ by and otherwise raising huge clouds of dust which greatly lowers visibility and greatly increases the .iability to accident as well as inconveniencing and being harmful to personnel, and which dust would be liable to get into the motors through the intake air and injure them. Said hard surfacing 15 further decreases the tendency f holds 11 and 1.2 tc rut by the frequent action of the landing wheels of planes thereon.

In the instance shown in Figure 1, there are a rlurality of rows of means 15 facing in different 'eetiona one of which directions being facing the fields 10 and 11, and the other rows iacing an angle or angles thereto. One the rows ol ,leans facing elds l0 and 11 preferably ex- 'Lfls acr ss the fronts of and between the sev il hangars 13 with gaps therein substantially cident with roadways leading into the ars 13. The rows of means 15 facing at an angle or angles to fields 10 and 11, or either of them, preferably commence a convenient distance c towardA field 11 Airom said last described row 15 and extend a desirable distance toward eld 1l, with the rows l5 opposite ends of field i2 formed of me; ns 15, while the intermediate rows of means 15 are each formed of double means 15. Across the ends of the rows of means 15 extending towards field 11 is a row of means 15, in the instance shown in Figure 1, parallel with the row ol means 15 extending across the hangar fronts. along the sides of the rows of means 15 towards field 11, well along adjacent sides of the intermediate ws means are adapted to be placed repectively rows of planes to be warmed up preparatory for flight, or to be tested after flight and before being placed in their hangars, cach plane with its tail extending toward its adjacent row oi me .s 15. Each plane preferably extends at a rig t angle from its respective row oi means 15 extending across the front oi the hangars, and parallel therewith, so that such planes face the field 11, while planes along the intermediate rows of means 15 preferably face away from said means at angle of about il@ although any desired angle may be employed.

Between the row of planes across the hangar fronts and the adjacent ends of the next forward rows of means 15 is a roadway 1'? communicating with the roadways 14 through gaps formed in the row of planes and means 15 across the hangar fronts, and also communicating with roadways 18 intermediate each row of planes, or spaces adapted to receive planes, juxtaposed to the several rows of means 15 at substantially a right angle to the row of neans 15 extending across the hangar fronts. Said roadways 18 each lead into field 11 through gaps in the row of means 15 juxtaposed to the front ends of the rows of mears 15 flanking the roadways 18.

In Figures 2 and 3 I have shown the means 15 formed integral with the hard surfacing or concrete composing the top surface 16 of nelds 11 and 12, and as consisting of a concave surface 19 extending from ush with the top surface 16 uperably at or near its junction with the curved surm f' face 19 which deflects said blast upward and away from the tail of the plane whose propeller or propellers produced said blast until said blast comes in Contact with the oppositely curved surthe means 15 is desired to be formed in doulwe rows, back to back, as shown in Figures 1 and the curved tops 2O are conveniently joined to gether and the double means 15 formed of a single projection integral with the top surface 16 of iield 12.

In Figure 4 I have shown the means 15, therein designated as 15d, detachable i n and not formed integral with the top surface 16 of 12, and as being formed of an ogee curved plate 21 extending from top surface 15 to the desired height with its lower edge provided with a series of holes to receive lag bolts 22 removably screwed into conical members 23 set or molded into and flush with the top of the concrete surface 16. When the means 15a is desired to be formed in a double row, plates 21 are set back to back with their edges adjoining. The shape of said plates 21 enable them to be nested together in great numbers in a small space when not desired to be used. The lag bolts 22 may be readily screwed into their respective members 23, each set or molded into the concrete top surface 15.01 field 12 at predetermined points where means 15 are desired to accommodate more than the usual number of planes at times. The screw holes in members 23 being adapted to be filled, when not occupied by bolts 22, by woodor other plugs ush with the top surface of 15.

15 which is designated 15b formed of a sheet 25 the continued of metal having its front edge 26 adapted to touch the ground or the top surface 16, thence it gently slopes upward and backward to 27, thence it slopes gently backward and into a substantial upward curve 28 concave toward the front, and terminates at its top in a relatively small curve 29 with its convex surface toward the front. This sheet 25 is preferably relatively thin, and hence is reinforced by frame 30 spotwelded or riveted thereto, as is also an axle 31 having wheels 32 revolubly mounted upon opposite ends. This means 15b may be conveniently moved into position, or elsewhere when not in use, by rais-- ing its front end 26 oil the ground and moving it about readily as any Vtwo-wheeled hand truck. In use said means 15b is moved with its front end 26 to and under the tail of the plane it is desired to serve, and there secured by any convenient deans. The width of sheet 25, either in one or any required number of pieces secured together, is such as to receive the column of air set in motion by the propeller of the plane whose motor is being warnied up or tested. The air is received by said means 15b, which dellects the same upward and away from possible interference with other planes and away from contact with dust forming surfaces.

The function of the means 15 will be described with reference to Figure 3 wherein a conventional airplane is shown in operative relation thereto with its usual anchorage omitted. When the motor is started for warming up or for testing, the propeller creates a rearward blast of high turbulency and substantial force, which, but for my invention would produce the conditions with their harmful resuts heretofore stated. With my invention these harmful results are eliminated and no additional harmful results are encountered. The substantial thrust of the pro eller blast, coming downwardly and rearwardly, is received by the hard surface 16 at and adjacent its junction with said curved deflecting surface 19, which readily deflects the same backward and upward in substantially a streamline. When said deflected propeller blast reaches curve 2l) it commences to expand over curve 20 and to diffuse into the atmosphere without liability to other planes. its motion being substantially upward.

When a plane has been warmed up suiiciently for flight it is preferably ine-,inlally attended and guided by ground attendants through either of both roadways 17, 13 and r eased to its pilot at the junction of roadway i8 and field 11, whereupon the pilot taxies the plane across the taXying field 11 preferably in the direction from which the wind comes, and at accelerating velocity. When such plane aches the junction of the hard surface 16 of 11 with the soil of flying eld 10 the action of the air upon the plane wings has eounterpoised the whole, or a substantial part, of the weight of the plane from the wheels, which obviates or greatly reduces the rutting of cld 10. This anti-i utting is also substantially contributed to by the progressive extension of the hard surfaced taxying field into the ying field, preferably by substantial outward curves which afford greatly increased area to the junction between fields lo and 11 and thus further decrease the liability of said rutting; while the uniformly smooth surface of taxying field l1 afforded by its hard or concrete surface 16 enables the taxying of the planes thereover at substantially her accelerated velocities ith safety and comfort, and which further lessons said liability to rutting because such velocities transfer in lesser time more of the weight of the planes from their wheels to the air.

It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description of means l5 with Figure 3 is also applicable to the substantially like means illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

To avoid the placing of the tail skid 33 of an airplane upon the top of the front edge 26 of conveyor Deans 1&1) to prevent the force of the propeller bl ,st from driving moans 15b backward and away irom the airplane, brace rods 34 are pivote/ily connected, one to cach rear corner of means lob. Rods Se are preferably provided with free ends and are adapted to extend downward rearward from their respective pivot points to receive all or a part of the weight of 1 ans lb from its wheels 32 when set in posit n to receive and convey by deflection the blast from 'the propeller of its correlated airplane.

Rods 34 are means Lib, and a pivot is show in Figure 5 consisting of a ring 35 attached to the back edge of means 15b and adapted to project basl; of, above and below said edge. Each ring 35 contains the loop 36 forni ld of t nr end of its respective rod 34. ln br .sing El) the upper end of loops 36 of r ds f pted to engage the lower crotch .ns 15b at its point of attachnient to rn le when not employed in bracing i rod.J may be conveniently disposed along the ton oi the rear edge of means 15b With loops 36 occupy `er such crotch.

provided tas' e" with its smooth artilicial covering or surface, I have discovered in the course of long experin ents in launching and landing a alanes, dispenses vith the necessity for an airplane launching catapult which is expensive, shortlived and cumbersome, in cases other than such as roofs and ship decks where usually space is inadequate for my very limited taxying area. Said area ailords all of the safety and airplane velocity acceleration in a relatively short airplane travel that its motor-propeller capacity permits. velocity acceleration throughout the extent of the taxying area is substantially greater than has heretofore been possible with airplanes under their own motive power, and which usually takes the airplane off of the area, or causes the air to sustain most of its weight, before the smooth joint between said area and flying is reached. Hence, and also by reason of the great length of said joint with the perimeter of the take-off end of said taxying area remains substantially unrutted notwithstanding the far greater capacity and use to which a provided with my invention are subjected. L -iout my invention an airport of far less capacity and use would be a1- inost daily rendered unsafe and useless by ruttng in extensive areas, or require almost constant expensive repairing, besides having thc other stated substantial difliculties and dangers which my invention also obvlates readily and inexpensively.

In landii llanos span, airports provided with my invention it may l be advantageous, when desired, that such ple. es iirst make landing contact upon the take-oli end of the taxyend oi' the taxyine My tariying area also enables snol la; planes to stopped by their' otlnr stopping rre-ans, snbstantially shorter space than as he to ore been possible with s. ety is snbreas d dence of pilots in for substantially safer y landings oi airports er Those skilled in the a vvl can -rplanes in pacity oi an a 'ort for liant and ont, and thereby greatly c its great cost and p t substantially and gerons rots and dust and lays occasioned thereby, the prevailing visibility, even a an airport to the possible by my vention.

, id deervation or" ne use of the art and eXercis may readily adapt i ietliod and apparatus ditions and in ways and widely dirierent frein the in the drawings, with or witte ication and within the sco Ret-respectif.7 the fact when everyt obvious, the extremely sin' expensive method which I have skilled in the art to 1eg steps and elements any, advance in the such simplicity and inexpen we tained by and through long, arduous pensive experiments in the latin and landing of airplanes, incl ding catapult-s and articial landing means, and successive 'ovements and developments oi iny cor g accomplishrnents, and that e: li step ol rire or lrentes to the attainment or" great r sa cty oi persons and property and the con expense and investment so essential to the disassociation of danger and avi- .i ,..e incre universal adoption of aviation.

The herein described invention be inanufactured and by or for the Government ci the United States for goverr iual por pose.

vwithout the payment to me oi any royalty tliereon or therefor.

Having now so fully described my invention that others may therefrom and use the field, an area or areas in which airplanes may be placed so close together that the propeller blast of one airplane aiect another airplane, a taxying area intermediate said rlrst named area or areas and the flying field, a communication area intermediate said first and second named areas, and nieans for preventing the propeller blasts of airplanes from eroding the surface or said areas and for leading away :from another airpalne sncli propeller blasts as may otherwise aiiect said other airplane.

3. In means for warming up the motors of airplanes while nested, a delector rigidly mounted between two or acre planes and having its opposite sides diver. ng downwardly and adapted to receive and deflect :troni each other the blasts oi the ropellers or such planes.

e. In means for warming up the motors of airplanes v nested, a deiiector formed of concrete or tne like between two or more plane poitions and having its opposite sides diverging downwardly and adapted to receive and deflect from each other the propeller blasts of such positioned planes.

5. ln ine ns for warming up the motors of airplanes r.- .e a deflector plate adapted to receive d n et frein another plane or planes the vwopeller blast of an airplane, and rn ns for iovably mounting said plate, in its deflect., .g position.

5. In means for warming up the motors of airp .nes while nested, a deiiector plate extending downwardly and away from its upper edge and adapted to receive and deflect from another plane or planes the propeller blast of an airplane, and means including lag-bolts for removably incrnti said plate in its deilecting position.

7. In means for warming np the motors of airplanes while nested, a deector plate adapted to receive and deilect troni another plane or planes the propeller blast or" an airplane, and means 'for portably mounting said plate in different deiiecting positions.

8. In means ior warming up the motors of airplanes while nested, a derlector plate extending downwardly away freni its upper edge and adapted to receive and deflect from another plane or planes propeller blast of an airplane, and wheels upon said plate for portably inounting said plate relative to the plane it is to serve.

9. ln rneans for warming up the motors of airplanes while nested, a deflector plate adapted to receive and deflect from another plane or planes the propeller 7. lfst of an airplane, wheels upon said plate for portably mounting said plate relative to the plane it ls to serve, and brace means for bracing said plate in its desirable deilecting position.

lo. ln means for warming up the motors of airplanes While nested, a deflector plate adapted to receive and deilect troni another plane or planes the propeller blast from an airplane, means for portably mounting said plate relative to the plane it is to serve, brace means for bracing said plate in its deflecting position, and means for inovably securing said brace means to said plate.

WILLIAM M. FELLERS. 

